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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29276727">Seizing the Moment</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/trillian_jdc/pseuds/trillian_jdc'>trillian_jdc</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Locked Down Donald [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Locked Down - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Co-Workers to Dating, International Fanworks Day 2021, M/M, Online Friendship, Spoilers, pandemic lockdown</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:07:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29276727</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/trillian_jdc/pseuds/trillian_jdc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Quarantine hasn't been good to Donald. He's lost his job and moved back in with his mother after his boyfriend threw him out. He's determined to make a fresh start with a new career as an author, and the attractive publishing assistant assigned to work with him is a definite plus.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Donald/OMC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Locked Down Donald [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2158551</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Seizing the Moment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Donald is the character played by Mark Gatiss in the Locked Down movie available on HBO Max. Note that this spoils the movie, as he's in one of the climactic scenes, and this story refers to those events.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Donald should have known. Big changes had never been good for him. Lockdown meant everyone was struggling, but his life as he knew it was over. </p><p>What a cliche, for an older gay man to be living with his mother. But when his partner Anthony decided to unload every possible grievance on him that one awful night, and then told him to leave, there was nowhere else to go. Not that he wanted to stay. After the things they'd said to each other, there was no going back. There were many things you could ignore when you had the distractions of going out to dinner or doing things with friends, but just the two of them, together, would never work, as they now hated each other. </p><p>At least his mother was supportive, telling him that Anthony had never been right for him. She might be correct. He'd realized how much he was willing to settle for in order to not be alone at this time in his life. Mum kept telling him that he'd find someone better suited for him soon. He had no idea how, not being able to meet anyone in person, and with no reason to video chat now that he'd been let go. He should have known that something was up when his crazy boss Linda asked all of them to assemble for an online meeting. </p><p>He still blamed himself. Intellectually, he knew that the decisions of the business had already been made by the time they gathered, but he was kicking himself for mentioning how he'd "become nostalgic for old-fashioned formality". That kind of attitude wasn't welcome in marketing. Reminding co-workers of age or maturity made them uncomfortable, as they were supposed to only be focused on the current and the now and the young. But he'd taken refuge in the comfort of the past. His father's ties and suits reminded him of a happier history. And it made his mother glad to see the pieces worn instead of hanging in dust covers in the back of the wardrobe. </p><p>He liked having something bigger to focus on. Truth and beauty and happiness were virtues that he still believed in, in spite of everything. At least lockdown had shown him what could be important. </p><p>Maybe that was why he had agreed to cover his ex-boss' absolutely ridiculous plan. Or maybe he'd just welcomed the surprise of something so unusual. The police hadn't asked him much, thank goodness, in spite of her suspicious disappearance in the middle of finishing the loading of the expensive luxury goods. The next day, he realized just how much he'd risked, but he wanted to remember how much he enjoyed feeling like a hero, like he could make a difference and fight the power, as they said. </p><p>He was done with all that now. The grand gesture was one thing, but they were rare in daily life. It was time to find something better suited to his strengths. </p><p>It was going to be difficult to start over, but after days of doing nothing but watch bad telly, he'd done an assessment of what he was good at. He'd been as honest as he could, and he still thought he was a decent writer. He had years of experience creating copy, expressing ideas quickly and directly, or subtly if needed. He'd fallen into marketing, back when, but parts of it suited him, and it had taught him some useful skills. </p><p>He needed to remember how he felt when he took charge and made a decision to do something. If he could recapture that feeling, the joy of seizing the moment to do something, it could motivate him through the difficult days ahead. </p><p>He began drafting an outline of a novel, one that expressed his feelings about making a difference. It might be encouraging to others who found their lives changing in these unusual times. His experience writing to schedule meant he could pitch a quick turn-around to get the book out while things were still so unsettled. </p><p>Once he had the first few sample chapters, he drew on his previous work experience to reach out to various publishers. It was more difficult, not being able to chat in person and make connections, but his previous pitch work came in handy, and soon he had a letter of intent. </p><p>He'd been given the name of the editor's assistant as his regular contact. Today was their first meeting. He logged on three minutes early, to make sure everything was working but not to seem too eager. He'd put on another of his father's ties. In spite of it being a bit too short for him, he appreciated the comfort and feeling of professionalism it gave him. </p><p>His contact surprised him. He'd been expecting an intern, someone who looked like a student. Bradley appeared to be closer to his age, based on his silver hair, and his smile was stunning. "Hi there! Donald, is it? I'm looking forward to working with you." </p><p>Donald had a hard time answering without tripping over his tongue. "Erm, yes, nice to meet you, Bradley." </p><p>"Brad, please. We'll be spending a lot of time together, getting your book ready, and I want to be friends." </p><p>"That's a nice idea. I admit, you're not what I expected." </p><p>Brad grinned and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah. To be frank, I'm a little overqualified, but any job in the pandemic, right? It was take the demotion or lose the income altogether. So we're going to make your book a success, as it'll show them their mistake." </p><p>Donald returned his smile. "I understand. I'm changing careers myself. And I'm glad to hear you believe in this." </p><p>Brad looked away from the screen briefly. "I'm sure I will, once I read it." </p><p>Donald worked hard to keep his face from falling, freezing his expression. </p><p>Brad seemed to recognize his dismay. "Don't be like that! I wanted to meet you first and find out your goals for the book. I promise you, I'll read it after this meeting." </p><p>"Fair enough," Donald responded. The conversation continued, with Brad winning him over by asking insightful questions and actively listening. They seemed to have good rapport, and Donald had to keep reminding himself not to tell Brad absolutely everything that inspired the novel, as it might raise uncomfortable questions. </p><p>Soon enough, their planned hour was over, and Donald felt inspired. He had plenty of material to work on, and he was eager to hear Brad's impressions once he'd read the book so far. They set their next meeting for three days later, and Donald went away with Brad's work email, personal email, and mobile number, in case he needed anything at any time. Brad may not have an idea of his work, yet, but he seemed eager to keep in touch. </p><p>Their virtual chats quickly became a high point of Donald's weeks. To be fair, there was little else to look forward to, but Donald liked to think that Brad was more than just a fall-back distraction. His mother was certainly encouraging, checking over his appearance before his calls and helping him set up a workstation with good lighting. </p><p>Donald had expected to have an easy time finishing his first draft, as he knew what he wanted to say, but he hadn't counted on how quickly Brad's face and voice kept finding their way into his imagination. He'd wonder what Brad would think of a chapter, and when he blinked, fifteen minutes had disappeared while he daydreamed. He shook himself. He had to remember Brad was just a kind face on a screen. Although the gravel of his voice was also inspiring, in a different way. But they didn't really know each other, and he had to focus on making this book everything he wanted it to be. </p><p>Finally, he'd delivered the draft of the full work, and he was nervously anticipating Brad's feedback. He suspected some might find his story of finding purpose and encouragement, making a fresh start, old-fashioned. He knew Brad would be honest, if he felt that way, but Donald desperately hoped Brad would have seen the underlying truth in it. If he couldn't get the message across to someone he'd been talking with regularly, how could he communicate it to a larger readership? </p><p>He'd have liked to have gotten some advice from his friends, but given the demands of his previous job, most of them had been Anthony's. He felt ridiculous, caring so much about the opinion from someone paid to spend time with him, but the part of him who dared to start a new career at this point in his life also dared to hope that Brad could be something more. </p><p>He really needed to keep their calls short. He read too much into their time spent together when they started chatting. And he tended to blurt out things, about ridiculous topics like shoes, when the conversations went too long, just to keep more of Brad's attention. When he thought back on some of what he'd said, he'd be embarrassed for hours. </p><p>And yet Brad was thoughtful. Last time he said he couldn't chat, Brad pressed him to continue, so he'd made up an excuse about sound carrying in the old house. A few days later, a package arrived for him with the newest earbuds. Donald thought that was going above and beyond, but maybe their marketing department had budget for trinkets to keep the clients happy. </p><p>Brad wasn't afraid to challenge him, either. When Donald was blocked, Brad mentioned that he'd expected Donald to be writing faster, "given your passion." </p><p>"Is there a usual pace, then?" </p><p>"No," Brad replied, "but what’s usual about any of this? Besides, I don't want you second-guessing yourself. Get it down, then we'll make it better together. And what else have we got to do?" </p><p>Donald was not comforted to think of himself as merely an adequate way to distract from a pandemic. But still, he and Brad seemed to have gotten to know one another, and he, at least, trusted the man. </p><p>Another day, Brad asked him, "So where do you want to go first? When this is over, and we're promoting your book?" </p><p>"I hadn't thought about it," Donald lied. He suspected his first stop would be his publisher's office to see where Brad worked. </p><p>"Oh, there must be somewhere. Snazzy guy like you will go over well in appearances." Brad had made a habit of teasing Donald about his ties, telling him it would make him distinctive and memorable, maybe even set a trend among his readers. Donald hoped his embarrassment wasn't visible on screen. </p><p>"Where would you recommend?" Donald asked. </p><p>"I used to make sure to attend BookExpo America every year, as it was a great excuse to visit a US city, but we'll see if it comes back when all this is over." </p><p>"Will you be traveling with me?" </p><p>"Oh, yeah, I'll handle all the details of your appearances. You'll be busy with readings and signings. I'll bring you tea and keep the queues straight. Looker like you, I'll have to carry a stick to beat the girls away."</p><p>"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem." Donald looked down to his keyboard, ducking the view in his screen and thinking that Brad was flattering him just to keep him writing. "I don't think straight is quite the right word." </p><p>"Oh? Oh!" Brad did his embarrassed grin again. "The boys, then. Bonus for me, if I get pick of the leftovers." </p><p>Donald wondered at Brad's outgoing willingness to share whatever he was thinking. Then he mentally stuttered at Brad's revelation. Then he declared he had to go and rang off and went back to his manuscript. </p><p>Finally, the book was ready for the final read-through. He'd done his best to capture the underlying idea of values to strive for, of the connections we could make with others in unusual circumstances, in the underlying beauty of the world, of taking a chance to make the most of time when the opportunity came to you.</p><p>He realized what that meant one night. He couldn't sleep, worrying over what Brad would think of the final draft, and he sat bolt upright in bed when it all came together for him. If he believed in everything he'd written about, honestly, he owed it to Brad -- and to himself -- to speak up. He'd developed feelings for Brad, and although they hadn't met, and wouldn't be able to until Lord knows when, he could still express his intentions. And since the book was done, if Brad didn't return his feelings, they wouldn't be forced to continue working together. </p><p>Over the days until their next call, he kept turning over how best to raise the topic. On the bright side, it kept him from worrying over how his novel had been received. </p><p>Finally, it was time, and he was no more settled. He rang in and kept his video camera off until Brad arrived. </p><p>"Donald? I'm not getting video. Everything ok?" a worried-looking Brad asked.</p><p>"If you'll forgive me, I think this will be easier for me when you tell me what you thought." </p><p>"Um, ok," Brad agreed, although he was visible and still looked a bit uncomfortable. "I thought it was great. We'll need a copy editing pass, of course, and perhaps a bit of polish, but this is a solid work that I'm proud to have been part of." </p><p>The tension left Donald's neck and shoulders. "That's wonderful to hear!" </p><p>"Can I see your smile, then?" Brad teased. </p><p>Donald turned the video back on and shyly smiled at him. </p><p>"There's one more thing," Brad started. </p><p>Donald felt his shoulders rise. This would be the source of Brad's discomfort, then. </p><p>"I know this is bloody unprofessional, but I've really enjoyed working with you, more than any of my other assignments. And I know it's ridiculous to even bring this up, given everything, but when all this," Brad waved his hand around, "is over, I'd really like to take you out for a drink and get to know you better." </p><p>"Donald? You still there?" Brad continued. "The picture's frozen." </p><p>"Er, no, that was just me being stunned." Donald swallowed. "I'd really like that. I was hoping to ask the same, but you beat me to it." </p><p>Brad grinned at him. "That's a promise, then. And I suppose we could always have cocktails here together in the meantime." </p><p>"Well," Donald responded, "it will be nice to talk to you without being under my mother's roof, but until then, let's make the best of it." </p><p>"That's all we can do," Brad agreed, as they smiled at each other.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The Mark Gatiss Appreciation Society watched Locked Down and decided that Donald needed more story. He's only in the movie for two four-minute scenes with about an hour and a half of film between them. So, with a bit of encouragement (particularly from daleslight, thank you so much), here's one possible sequel for him. </p><p>PS the ship name is "Donley", we think.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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